"Jayln! Jayln!"

Matius shook her and she winced. She had a splitting headache. Matius helped her sit up and she blinked in the dark, her memory returning. "Did...did we win?"

Matius kissed her forehead. "Yes! We won!"

"Yu'jana...Fenrin!" Jayln stumbled to her feet.

Matius steadied her. "Easy. You've taken quite a beating. I'd treat you now but I'm afraid I'm fresh out of magic."

Jayln winced as she jostled her broken arm. Matius untied his sash and made her a sling. "There, that'll have to do for now."

She glanced around. There were two piles of Brimstone corpses but many still littered the massive room. Of the two dozen mages, ten were laid out in a respectful line as others spoke rites over them. One Azir had two others attending her, glowing golden hands attempting to stem the gaping wound where a hellhound had ripped off an arm. The Arch Mage was leaning over Yu'jana, a light blue cocoon of light enveloping her.

"What happened?" Jayln asked.

"Niv killed her followers, using their pain to give herself power. She tried to possess Yu'jana, breaking her shields and her spell with the Arch Mage."

"You stopped her," Jayln recalled.

"Barely. I just gave the Arch Mage a chance to counter. He managed to not only keep his own shields up, but break Niv's hold and maintain the sealing spell alone. Yu'jana regained herself just in time to finish and Niv was sent back to her plane."

Jayln leaned into Matius. "Good. Is Yu’jana alright?"

Matius frowned, looking over to where his fellow apprentice lay still. "Niv did a number on her. We're just waiting for the Arch Mage to say she's well enough to travel back to the tower."

"Wait, what about Fenrin? Is he alive?" She pulled away looking around.

"Er, to be honest, I haven't checked. When he came at me, I thought he was going to eat me. He's still on the floor."

Jayln moved to where the man's body lay. Holding her breath, she reached down and touched his neck feeling for a pulse. Nothing and then a slow beat.

"He's alive," she gasped, "but his heartbeat is weak."

She huffed, using her good shoulder to roll him over and pressed her ear against his chest. One of the surviving Azir walked over. "He's dead right?" the mage asked nervously.

"No, he’s alive," Jayln said with relief but then glancing at his mangled body she added, "though gods know how."

The mage backed up. "Well quickly, finish him off! He took down both my partners before I could get away."

Jayln shot the mage an angry look. "He was possessed! He's been tortured by Niv for weeks, get someone to help him!"

The Azir recoiled and looked to Matius who nodded solemnly. With an undignified huff, the Azir stalked off. Jayln stared at Fenrin.

The more she looked the worse it was. His ribs stuck out and just by looking she could tell a few were broken. She hadn't done that, which meant he'd fought her in that pain. His arms were blotched with white and black burns, wounds festered and unhealed—and there was that collar, a dark iron band with no apparent opening, just a loop for a chain.

Matius knelt next to her. "Look I know you want to help, but we don't know what she did to him. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious. Let me see if anyone has enough power left for a binding spell. Just something to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone if he wakes up violent.”

Jayln bit back a retort, knowing he was right. Her voice shook as she said, "I-I'm going to go find Tryst."

Matius let her walk off and called over another mage. Jayln wandered around, occasionally stepping over a body. She made her way back to the pillar she’d last seen the ex-pirate hiding behind and ran forward as she saw a blue sash sticking out from under some rubble.

"Tryst!"

The man was pinned under a statue that must have fallen when Niv split the room. His eyes cracked open and he coughed, his voice rattling, "Oh, good. Rescue. I guess we won then?"

Jayln carefully picked her way over, examining the rubble. "Yes, we did."

The stone pinning Tryst arm was holding a larger rock in place. If she moved it, the bigger piece would crush him. She carefully pulled the slab over his legs, grunting to do it with one arm.

"Don't move, we can't risk that falling on you. I'm going to try to find something to help."

Tryst nodded, too pained to manage a smart remark. Jayln jogged around. She needed a barrel, or a metal pole, or....

A black cage came into view. Its bars spiked and stained with blood. Inside a large black chain lay abandoned. Jayln shivered, instinctively knowing this is where Fenrin had been imprisoned.

With distaste but desperation, she shrugged the chain into a coil onto her shoulder, wincing as the effort hurt her arm and bloodied neck. An Azir with a cloth tied over his eye saw her and rushed over to help. Together they managed to get the chain back to Tryst, carefully wrapping it around the larger stone and then trailing it out and around a pillar.

"When I say so, Tryst, you need to roll out from under the statue!" Jayln shouted, signalling the second Azir who joined the operation. Tryst nodded, gritting his teeth.

The two mages held hands and closed their eyes. “Njuy Fit!”

The rock pinning Tryst melted into sludge and he rolled out. The larger stone fell, but held by the chains, it swayed and pivoted, crashing to the ground just to the left of where Tryst had been. Hiswatched it fall, wide-eyed .

"Oi! I could have rolled that way!"

Jayln sighed, sitting on the edge of some rubble. "Good thing you didn't."

Tryst tried to stand but winced and one of the mages had to catch him. "Yup," he hissed, "ankle's busted."

The mage with the eyepatch patted his arm. "We'll get you patched up at the tower."

He turned to her and gave a wink. "Looking forward to it."

Another Azir ran over and waved a hand. "Hurry! Arch Mage says it's time to go!"

It took every bit of magic left in the survivors, but finally a portal was opened. From there the mages awaiting on the other end held it open as the living and the bodies of the dead were carried through. Fenrin was moved by mages who passed in from the tower side, shimmering silver bands binding his hands and legs. Once through the portal, most of the Azir collapsed, their friends rushing to their sides, golden light at the ready.

Jayln stayed with Fenrin as they brought him down to the tower dungeons. She found the cleanest cell and gathered a bed for him.

Then she waited.

As night fell, Matius fetched her. He brought food and Jayln leaned against his arm as he sat next to her.

"He hasn't woken up yet,” she said. “A healer came in to help, saying that by all accounts he shouldn't be alive. She spent a good hour mending all his breaks and bruises. Four ribs, three shattered knuckles, cracked skull, and a host of nasty burns and cuts. But even with that healed, he hasn't moved."

"That doesn't surprise me." Matius frowned at the still body carefully covered in soft blankets. "What I don't get is that mark on his forehead. Any spells Niv cast should have ended with her banishment. Like Yu'jana's did."

It was true, the mark had turned black but was still there, like it was burned into his skin.

Jayln glanced up, "How is Yu’jana?"

"Not good. Niv tore her mind apart. The Arch Mage has been with her all day trying to put the pieces back together. Even if she wakes up, we're not sure the permanent damage."

Matius gave Jayln a gentle nudge as she closed her eyes. "As much as I want to see you resting, I'd feel even better if you ate something first." She hummed discontentedly but opened her eyes to take the offered bowl of warm soup.

After eating it, she did feel a lot better. Matius shifted and she leaned against his shoulder again.

"Let me see your arm," he murmured and she groaned sitting back up. Matius leaned over the broken appendage tuting here and there.

"I've had worse," she said as he fretted. "I'll be fine."

"Yes, you will," he said flatly and his hand glowed.

Jayln sucked in her breath as the odd sensation of bones knitting themselves back together tickled down her arm. Matius smiled at her, a bit pale and untied the sling. She flexed her arm in awe. She'd heard of healing magic, seen it after the battle, but she'd never had it done to her before.

"Good as new," Matius said but he leaned back a bit heavily and she squinted at him.

"Have you had any rest?"

Matius sighed guiltily. "No, but I couldn't sleep until I did that. We should both get some rest. I'll have one of the whites watch him and get us if he wakes."

Jayln frowned, uncertain leaving one of the youngest apprentices was a good idea but right now sleep was very appealing. Without the pain of her broken arm, her eyelids were already heavy.

“Fine," she murmured, "but they have to get me if he even so much as moves. And make sure they know to stay clear just in case."

They left the cell, arm in arm, catching a white robed Azir on the stairs. Jayln explained and the teen, a girl with a long straight braid down to her ankles, assured them she'd take care of it. She gave Matius the star struck look he usually got from the youngest apprentices.

The two stumbled into Matius's room half asleep. Matius started to pull away but Jayln pushed him into his room, falling with him onto the bed.

"Jayln?"

She tucked herself under his arm, laying on his chest.

"Shhhh. Just sleep," she managed before her breaths grew slow and calm. Matius tentatively reached out and stroked her auburn hair. He wanted to enjoy the moment, but his own exhaustion got the better of him and he too, nodded off.